English Teacher named BBC Radio 6’s Artists of the Year
by Northern Life
Our Lily’s a Winner!
After winning the Mercury Prize earlier this year, Colne-born Lily Fontaine and her band, English Teacher, have been named BBC Radio 6’s Artists of the Year.
From her hometown of Colne to her new home in Leeds, Lily has been entertaining the north for years with her incredible voice. Not only is she a talented musician, but she is also a brilliant writer.
She worked for Northern Life back in 2019/20 before leaving for the bright lights of Leeds as the lead singer with the band English Teacher. “I was interning for free one day a week and loved it, but I was also considering moving back to Leeds to work on the band. I was like, ‘What do I do? Do I go down the path of fully throwing myself into becoming a journalist, or do the band?”
It certainly was a ‘sliding doors’ moment, but I reckon she made the right decision; Northern Life’s loss
is music’s gain. However, if she ever gets bored of being an award-winning musician, there’ll always be a place for Lily at Northern Life HQ.
Formed in 2020 at Leeds Conservatoire, English Teacher signed with Island Records and now joins BBC Radio 6’s award winners, alongside artists like Charli XCX. Congratulations to Lily and English Teacher!
NorthernLife Dec/Jan/Feb 24/25
